How to Train a Dachshund to Go For Walks
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Introduction
He’s exactly as you hoped, playful, devoted, lively and clever. Plus he’s a Dachshund, so he’s the cutest little shape. However, there is one thing he’s not so good at: going for walks. He needs to be taken out each day but you almost have to drag him along the ground.
This might have made you giggle to start with, but now you’re beginning to get a bit worried. If he won’t get any exercise he may start piling on the weight, and that's no good for his little frame. Not to mention, if he doesn’t use his legs enough, then his muscles and joints will grow weak and he may develop expensive health problems later on in life.
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Defining Tasks
Thankfully, training a Dachshund to enjoy walking is fairly straightforward. The first thing you need to do is get him comfortable in a collar and leash. You then need to gradually build up his confidence in the house before venturing out into the world. A key part of the training will also be finding the right motivator. Fortunately, Dachshunds have a weak spot for anything they can eat. So the right mouth-watering food should soon get him bounding around.
If he’s a puppy, then your Dachshund should be highly receptive. This means you could see results quickly. However, if he’s older and this habit has developed over a number of years, then you may need up to a month before you see consistent results. Succeed and you’ll have the ideal canine companion for weekend strolls. You’ll also have a quick and easy way to exercise him each day.
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Getting Started
Before you can start training, you will need to gather a few bits. Stock up on tasty treats and have handy a short training leash, a favorite toy, some string, and a clicker if you typically use one to train.
Set aside half an hour each day for training. For the most part, you will be able to conduct training when out on your daily walk.
Once you have all that, just bring patience and some walking shoes, then work can begin!
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The Walking Confidence Method
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Secure his leash
The first thing to do is get your Dachshund used to his leash. So fit it to him when you are at home and let him wander around with it on for 10 minutes each day. Remain calm as you fit it, you don’t want to get him too worked up just yet.
In-house walks
After a couple of days, you can then start taking him for slow walks around the house on the leash. He needs to get confident inside before he ventures out the front door.
Encouragement
To get him walking, talk in a high-pitched and animated voice. Dachshunds mirror their owners behavior, so if he sees you excited, he will soon follow suit. You can also get down low to his level. Just continue to encourage him until he catches on.
Yard
Once you can walk him for a few minutes around the house, it’s time to brave the outdoors. Calmly fit the leash and then get him worked up and head for the back door. Walk him a couple of times around the yard each morning and evening.
Up the stakes
Once he is confident walking around the yard, it’s time to head out for the real deal. Use exactly the same steps as above to get him excited and then go for a walk around where you live. To start with, only walk him for a short distance, but then gradually increase the length of time you walk for.
The Treat Lure Method
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Getting ready
Calmly fit him to his leash. If he doesn’t want to stay still, hold out a treat to capture his attention. Then once you have fitted the leash you can then hand over the treat as a reward.
Head height
Now head out the door as if you were going for a normal walk. However, hold a treat as close to his face as you can. Due to Dachshund’s small stature, you may need to attach a treat to a long bit of string. The treat should keep him walking as he tries to get his mouth around it.
10 yards
Once you have both waked 10 yards, give him the treat as a reward (be careful with the string). You can also give him some verbal praise. The happier he feels, the more keen he will be to continue walking again.
Increase the distance
Now attach another treat to a piece of string and continue walking. But this time walk 20 yards with him at your side before you hand over the reward. If he loses interest you may want to try using a different lure. Often the smellier the food, the more effective it will be. Cheese usually does the job well.
Lose the treats
Continue walking each day like this, increasing the distance as you go. Once he fully gets the hang of it and can walk confidently, you can then slowly phase out the treats. He will be comfortable on his four legs and will no longer need a food incentive.
The Temptation Method
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Long leash
The first thing to do is fit your Dachshund to a long leash. Dogs often get scared when they have to walk on a short leash. You will also need a friend, a toy and a clicker. Once you have that, head into the yard.
Hold him
Have your friend stand a few feet away and hold your pooch by the collar. As he does this, hold your Dachshund's favorite toy in front of him and start talking in an animated voice. You want to get him as worked up as possible.
Start running
Once you have his attention, start running in the opposite direction holding his toy as you go. As you do this, have your friend hold him back. The simple fact he can’t get to you will make him want to.
Release & reward
After a second or so of holding him, let go so he can run after you. Let him nearly catch up with you and run with you as you hold his leash. If you use a clicker to train, you can then click to let him know he is doing a good job and spend a minute playing with his toy. Practice this several times each day. This will get him comfortable running on the leash and associating it with positive things.
The walk
Continue practicing this, but rather than running away, just walk, then let him catch up and continue to walk for a little while before you give him the toy. Continue doing this and he will very soon get into the habit of walking confidently.
Written by James Barra
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 03/01/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
Pepper
miniature dachshund
11 Months
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
She has suddenly become very fearful of walks, even routes she's done previously. She stops, lies down, shakes and won't budge. I don't know how to proceed, I want to help her build her confidence. She barks at everything, which is fine that's what dachshunds do! But there is nothing we can do to calm her down or get her to listen to us. We don't mind the barking, we just want her to be able to listen to us when we ask her to calm down.
March 22, 2021
Pepper's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello Lauren, For the barking, check out the article linked below and both the Quiet method and the Desensitize method. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Also, check out the video series on barking for example of desensitizing to specific bark triggers. There are various videos addressing different things. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAA4pob0Wl0W2agO7frSjia1hG85IyA6a For the fear, I would consider hiring an animal behaviorist or speaking with your vet. There may be something causing pain like a new harness chaffing, an injury, a frozen, salted, or hot sidewalk, paw injury, or joint issue. See if pup seems in pain when they walk places like a park instead also. If it's not pain, then there may be something in the environment pup finds scary, like noises from a new house being built or worked on, a certain dog in the area, a predatory animals' scent like a coyote in the area, a lawn decoration that seems weird too pup. Look for anything new, and pay attention to when pup's body language is the most tense and what they fixate on when walking. If you can find the source of the fear, then you can work on gradually desensitizing pup to it by going somewhere further from it, working on obedience commands and games to get pup to relax, then gradually transitioning closer to the source of discomfort as pup is able to relax more and ease into it without realizing it - until they are back to normal in that area. If you can't seem to make progress on your own, I recommend hiring someone who specializes in counter conditioning like a behaviorist. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
March 23, 2021